This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on October 2, 2019 - October 8, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians will not have to wait for much longer for the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Fold as the mobile phone company announced yesterday that the model will be launched in the country this month.

“The future is finally here. At long last, Samsung’s biggest breakthrough since its first mobile phone will arrive in Malaysia this month. The device doesn’t just define a new category; it defies all categories,” Samsung said in a statement.

“In anticipation of its arrival, Samsung kicked off a Galaxy Fold pre-order campaign in several countries around the world — and it was sold out in Singapore and South Korea. This shows the immense enthusiasm that consumers have for true innovation.

“You can also be among the first to own a Galaxy Fold as Malaysia’s pre-order campaign is coming soon,” it added.

All eyes will be on the official price tag of the posh phone, which starts at US$1,980, or about RM8,307, in the US.

The Galaxy Fold is equipped with a 7.3-inch (18.54cm) Dynamic Amoled display — the largest Galaxy smartphone screen yet — that is made of a revolutionary polymer material layered for slim flexibility.

The company describes it as an engineering marvel inspired by the precision of watch mechanics. “The hinge delivers symmetrical movement that gently locks in place, so the Galaxy Fold intuitively folds like a book.”

Samsung Malaysia’s website indicates that the colours available for the model are Space Silver and Cosmos Black.

Samsung delayed the release of the phone earlier this year to address some issues raised by smartphone reviewers, such as a protective film that was prone to get peeled off by those who mistake it as a screen protector, resulting in damage to the display.

It was reported that the updated version comes with an enlarged protective film that extends to beneath the bezels of the device to prevent users from peeling it off.

Other improvements include a studier hinge, while the gap where the hinge meets the display has reportedly been trimmed down.